Liquid cooler



Dec. 28, 1937. I w, DRYSDALE 2,103,970

LIQUID COOLER Filed Nov. 2, 1934 I 7 Sheeis-Sheet 1 8 8 88 Iaweaaion- Wr'fiz'arawflflryadaie, 2 35% E r cflfiiyo Dec. 28, 1937. v w. D. DRYSDALE 2,103,970

' I LIQUID- COOLER Filed Nov. 2, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 28, 1937 w. D. DRYSDALE 2,103,970

. LIQUID COOLER Filed Nov. 2, 19 34 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 mmflflrgsdaie, W M" Z2336 Dec. 28, 1937.

W. D. DRYSDALE LIQUID COOLER Filed Nov. 2, 1934 I 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Iawenior: m'azuflflv solaie,

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Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED T'STVATE 2,103,970. LIQUID COOLER William D. Drysdale, Mount Clemens, Mich, as-

signor to Walter .J. Sugden,

Mass.

West Roxbury,

Application November 2, 193 4, SerialNo. 751,180 '3 Claims. (01. 62141) This invention relates to mechanically refrigerated liquid coolers of the inverted bottle type.

The invention aims to provide a cooler which shall be small, compact and light so that it may be. moved about easily and placed on tables, filing cabinets and the like. The invention also aims to provide a cooler which shall be highly efficient and economical and which shall minimize con-' duction and radiation of heat from the bottle into the liquidfreservoir.

The invention will readily reference to the following description when taken in connection with, the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be pointed out more particularly; in the appended claims.

In the drawings: v

Fig. l is a plan of a liquid cooler embodying the invention as it appears without the bottle;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same with the bottle in place, a portion of the bottle being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view of the upper portion of the cooler on an enlarged scale on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view of the lower portion of the cooler on an enlarged scale on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a illustrating the compressor-condenser-expander circuit; i i

Fig. 6 is ahorizontal, sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a vertical, sectional view on line 1-l of Fig. 6showing the location and mounting of the expansion valve;

Fig. 8 is a plan of the upper and lower platforms and the framework connecting them disassociated from the other parts; V r

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. lO is a horizontal, sectional view on line I0-l0 of Fig. 9; i Fig. 11 is a vertical, sectional view on an enlarged scale on line I I--'ll of Fig. Fig. 12, is a horizontal, sectional view on an enlarged scale on line l,2-i2.oi Fig.,9;.

Fig. 13 is a vertical, sectional view on an enlarged scale on line I3-l3 of Fig. 9;

,Fig. 14 is an elevation of the 'fan shroud or baffle; and

Fig. 15 is a horizontal, sectional view on line I5-l5 of Fig. l4.-

Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein by way be understood by" conventionalized, perspective view,-

of example, thereis shown (see Figs. 1 and 2) a liquid cooler comprising a housing having an opening 22 at the top for'the downward .insertionof the neck 24' of a bottle 26; iThebottle is conveniently supported by a rubber" ring 28 see Fig. 3) which is seated in an'annular recess 30 about the opening'22. This ring is provided with, one or more notches'32 for the equalization of air pressures within and without the space at the upper portion of the cooler, and, as shown, the ring is notched at the bottom as well as at the top so that if it should accidentally be inverted there will still be the desired equalization of pressures.

Within the upper portion of the housing is a reservoir 34 for the liquid to be cooled, said reservoir having an opening 36 at the top to receive the bottle neck. Leading from the lower portion of this reservoir is an outlet conduit 38 which leads to a faucet 40- from which the liquid is drawn for use. Within the reservoir is a refrigerant expander, herein a coil 42, having a suitable number of convolutions and appropriately supported as by three brackets 44 which are secured to the bottom of the reservoir. Also within the reservoir is a cup 46 which receives the bottle neck and is conveniently supported by the upper portion of the reservoir as by providing the cup with an outwardly directed annular projection 48 which rests upon an annular seat 5!] presented by the reservoir. This cup has an outlet 52 which leads from its interior into the reservoir desirably I at a point remote from the outlet conduit 38 so that the liquid issuing from the outlet 52 is compelled to pass over a considerable area of the coil before reaching the outlet conduit. The cup is preferably made of glazed porcelain which, be-, ing a good non-conductor of heat, minimizes conduction of heat from the bottle into the reservoir and segregates in the reservoir a body of water which is thoroughly cooled by the expansion coil before passing to the faucet.

The porcelain cup is easily removable to enable it, aswell as the interior of the reservoir, to; be thoroughly cleansed. In practice, the reservoir will be made of. copper and it, as well as the coil 42,wil1 be coated with tin to prevent corrosion and to-afford less opportunity for accumulation of unsanitary deposits. In the example shown, the body of the reservoir is provided at its upper portion with an annular seat 54 in which is seated a downwardly directed marginal portion 56 of a ring 58 in which the opening 36 is formed. After the. coil and other parts have been assembled within the reservoir, the ring 58 is preferably secured to the body of the reservoir as by soldering the marginal portion of the ring to the upper edge of the reservoir body.

It will be observed that the opening 22 is above and considerably smaller in diameter than the opening 36 in the reservoir 34, and it followsthat there is little, if any, danger of moisture entering the space between the reservoir and'the housing, owing to the overlapping relationship between the margins of the openings 22 and 36. This space between the reservoir and the housing is filled with a body of insulating material 66 tominimize conduction of heat from the exterior of the housing to the reservoir. This insulating material is not at all likely to be'injured by moisture, owing to the relative arrangement of the openings 22 and 36. .In practice, the cup 46 is made of white, glazed porcelain which reflects the light, and therefore facilitates the downward insertion of the bottle neck into the cup without danger of spilling water from thelbottle.

. In the embodiment shown, the reservoir is provided with feet 62 which support and elevate the bottom of the reservoir above the top of a body'64 of appropriate insulating material, the character of which preferably is such that it can be molded or pressed into the form desired, with recesses 66 in its upper face to receive the feet' 62 and thereby to hold the reservoir against horizontal displacement. The body 64 is alsoconveniently recessed as at 68 to receive a portion of the outlet conduit 38 which-leads from the reservoir to the faucet. The bodies of insulation 60 and 64 together provide a thorough jacketing of the reservoir and minimize conduction of heat to the interior of the reservoir..

As herein shown, the insulating body 64 rests upon, is supported by, and is secured to an upper platform 68, the securing'means herein shown comprising cap screws 10 whose upper ends are threadedinto the feet 62 and whose lower ends are provided withheads 12 received in recesses 14 in theunderside of :the platform. In .the present example, the platform is conveniently made of laminated wood. V

l Below the upper platform is'a lower platform I6 (see Fig. 9), and'between these platforms is a machinery compartment 18 which is closed at its sides by the housing 20, the latter being secured to the uprights as by screws 82 '(see Fig. '2) threaded into openings 84 (see Fig. 9) in the uprights. In the present example, the uprights diverge. upwardly and the sides of the housing correspondingly-diverge and at the corners snugly fit the uprights, as aresult of which the weight of the housing and that of the superimposed bottle ofwater is not borne by the screws 82but is distributed along the diverging surfaces of the uprights. This is one factor. in securing great strength and compactness with light weight.

In the present example, the uprights are supported by feet 86 conveniently made of sheet metal and herein provided with rubber pads 88 to rest upon the table or the support, these pads being conveniently. secured to the feet as by screws '90 (see Fig. 11) threaded into horizontal flanges 92 presented by the feet. Thefeet are conveniently secured to the uprights as by screws 94 (see. Fig. 13) which extend through flanges 96 presented by the feet, and into threaded openings 58 in the lower ends of the uprights.

The upper platform is conveniently supported on the "uprights as by providing each of the latter with pairs of inwardly directed projections I06 above and below the platform, and spaced apart a sufiicient distance to enable the platform to fit snugly between them, and the platform is secured to the upright by pairs of screws I02. The lower platform is secured to the uprights in a similar fashion by providing the upright with like pairs of inwardly directed projections I 64 between which the platform is snugly received,

and in this case also, the uprights are secured to the fiatform by pairs of screws I06.

Thus the platforms, the uprights and the feet constitute a light but exceedinglystrong frameworkwhich not only sustains the housing and the bottle of water and the reservoir in the described manner, but also affords a compartment and support for the machinery of the mechanical refrigerating apparatus now to be described.

Reference has been made to the fact that the expansion coil 42 within the reservoir 34 is a part of a compressor-condenser-expander circuit. The remainder of this circuit will now be described, reference being had to Fig. 4 wherein frigerant passes and'is condensed, after which it is conducted bya pipe 'I I 4 to a liquid reservoir H6 whence it is conducted by'a pipe II8 which leads upwardly through the upper platform 68 and insulating body 64 into the reservoir 34 where it is connected to an expansion valve I26 from which the-liquid refrigerant is released in the form of a spray through an outlet I22 connected to the expansion coil 42. This expansion valve is not new in and of itself, but may be one of several commercially available types, the one shown being .a well known unit made by Fedders Manufacturing Company. However, .according to the present invention, this expansion valve is located within the'water reservoinand this location is advantageous not only because it provides a compact construction, but because thislocation decreases the efficiency of theme;

chine, and because moisture, which is bound to collect on the outside of the expansion valve, drips into the reservoir where it can, do no harm. If this expansion valve were placed on the outside, the dripping of moisture would be serious. The expansion valve is conveniently supported in the reservoir as by providing the ring 58 of .the reservoir with an opening I24 which receives a neck I26 presented by the expansion valve, and on to this neck is threaded a capnut I28 which is screwed against a gasket I36 about the opening, as shown in Fig.7.. 1 I

The expansion valve discharges the refrigerant in the form of a spray into theexpansion coil and the evaporating action cools the coil and therefore the water within the reservoir. After passing through'the severalconvolutions of the coil, the refrigerant is conducted by a pipe I32 to the exterior of the reservoir (see Fig. 6) and this pipe leads downwardly through the insulating body 64 and the upper platform 68 (see Fig. 5) to the machinery compartment where it is connected to an inlet I34 leading into the compressor unit I68. This completes the circuit.

The'control of the motorof the compressorunit is vested in 'a switch I36 within the ma (iii.

' chinery compartment.

This switch is not novel but may be one of several commercially available types, the one employed in the present example being made by Cutler-Hammer, and it embodies within itself a bellows or accordion-like thermostatic element which is connected by a capillary tube I38 which leads upwardly through the upper platform 68 and insulating body 64 and into the reservoir 34 where it terminates in a. bulb I40 which, as best shown in Fig. 3, is conveniently mounted within the reservoir as by being secured to one of the brackets 44'by a clamp I42 and a screw I44. I

Assuming that we start with a water temperature of 75 F. in the reservoir, this temperature causes the closing of an electric circuit and the switch I36 operates to start the compressor unit. If it be desired to keep the water in the reservoir at temperatures of from 42 F. to 47 F., the setting of the switch is such that the machine will run until the temperature of the water in the reservoir reaches 42 F. When this temperature is reached, the compressor unit will stop and will remain out of operation until the temperature of the water in the reservoir rises to 47 R, whereupon the switch operates to re-start the compressor unit. The temperatures given are, of course, merely by way of example.

Returning now to the compressor unit, the

latter, as shown in Fig. 4, is housed within the machinery compartment 18 and is appropriately mounted on the lower platform 16 as by a suitably cushioned mounting I46. Also within this compartment is the condenser H2, and associated with this condenser is a fan I48 which is driven by a motor I50 mounted on a bracket I52 secured to the platform I6 by bolts I54 which extend through rubber grommets I56 to provide a cushioned support for the bracket. With this fan is associated a b aille I58, best shown in Figs. 14 and 15, which is in the nature of a partition extending entirely across the machinery compartment from side to side and has an opening I60 within which the fan rotates. The purpose of this bafile is to increase the efiiciency of the fan by compelling all of the air to pass through the restricted opening I60 about the fan.

The platform 16 is provided with'two openings I62 and I64 (see Fig. 4) on opposite sides of the group of parts comprising the condenser, the fan and the baffle, as a result of which rotation of the fan draws air from the exterior of the housing upwardly through the opening I62 through the condenser and through the baffle whence it is irected against the compressor unit, passes about the top, sides and bottom of the latter, and then escapes through the opening I64 to the outer atmosphere. In this way the condenser is cooled to assist in the liquefaction of the refrigerant, and the current of air also cools the compressor unit.

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, 'but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In a liquid cooler of the inverted bottle type, the combination of a housing having an opening at the top for the downward insertion of the bottle neck, a reservoir within said housing for the liquidto be cooled, said reservoir having an opening at the top to receive the bottle neck, a liquid outlet conduit leading from said reservoir to the exterior of said housing, a refrigerant expansion coil disposed within said reservoir to cool the liquid in the latter, and a cup within and spaced from the internal surface of said reservoir to receive the bottle neck, said cup having an outlet into saidreservoir, said cup outlet being remote from said outlet conduit, thereby to compel the liquid to flow over a considerable area of said coil before reaching said outlet conduit, and said coil being disposed in the space between the internal surface of said, reservoir and the external surface of said cup.

2.- In a liquid cooler, the combination of an inverted bottle having a downwardly directed neck, a primary reservoir about and spaced from the sides and bottom of said neck and freely communicating with the interior of said bottle, said reservoir being provided with an outwardly directed projection, a secondary reservoir about and spaced from the sides and bottom of said primary reservoir and freely communicating with its interior, said secondary reservoir presenting about said primary reservoir a support on which said outwardly directed projection rests, said secondary reservoir having an upper wall which extends inwardly beneath and supports said outwardly directed projection, a housing about and spaced from said secondary reservoir and having an opening through which said primary reservoir may be withdrawn upwardly, said housing presenting about said opening a support for said bottle, and thermal insulation in the space between said secondary reservoir and said housing.

3. In a liquid cooler, the combination of an inverted bottle having a downwardly directed neck, a primary reservoir about and spaced from the sides and bottom of said neck and communicating at all times with the interior of said bottle, said reservoir having an outwardly directed projection, a secondary reservoir about and spaced from the sides and bottom of said primary reser-,

'voir and communicating therewith, said second- 

